Electronics Manufacturing

Written by Adam Blau

Electronics manufacturing is a many-tiered process that requires a great deal of forethought and planning. When people purchase a digital clock or a radar detector, they may not realize the vast amount of preparation and testing that goes into the design. More complex devices, such as computers or gaming systems, require proportionally detailed work in the planning stages.

Electronics Manufacturing and Circuit Boards

At the heart of virtually every electronics device lies the circuit board. This is where all of the power flow and calculations take place, and where the outboard components are connected. Most of the time, the functional parts (like capacitors and diodes) are soldered directly onto the circuit board, where they interact with one another.

Current flow occurs through tiny conductive surfaces on the circuit board. The remainder of the board is covered with non-conductive material and solder resist (which prevents the solder of attached components from overlapping and inadvertently forming a solder bridge). A poorly-manufactured circuit board will not sufficiently separate the conductive pathways from the insulated areas, creating short circuits and, ultimately, a non-functional device.

Outboard components, such as interface items like knobs and switches, usually connect to the circuit board through designated solder pads. Rather than being installed directly onto the board, these items are connected with wires and installed remotely on the outside of the unit's box. The solder pads serve as a conductive point of connectivity for these components, allowing them to function as if they were an integrated part of the circuit board.